


Stellar

by OpalliteGlass



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fantasy, Gay Romance, M/M, Original Characters - Freeform, Slow Burn, Star AU, starborn!keith, starseeker au, starseeker!lance, the constellations are real you guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 20:13:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11721717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpalliteGlass/pseuds/OpalliteGlass
Summary: Lance is a disgruntled astronomer who becomes embroiled in a conflict between the constellations themselves. Will he be able to help them in their war, or will he just become another victim?





	1. NOVUS

_Dorado, Gliese 1623_

 Lance sighed plotting the numbers into his computer screen as he leaned away from the telescope. He turned to look through it one more time to get confirmation of the second star.

  _Dorado, Brey 75_

 He groaned, leaning back in his rolling office chair. He had been working for this planetarium for months now, and all they’d had him do was plot stars into the computer for data analysis. He adjusted the telescope slightly to clarify the picture, but saw nothing else of interest. He let out another groan.

 “I’m so boreeeed...”

 “You can leave, Lance. I think I’ve got this under control.” Came a bright ,chirpy voice. A peppy, red-headed girl, with more freckles than Lance could count, turned around her own chair on the other side of the empty, circular observation deck. Her eyes were vivid blue, and there were visible laugh lines around them.

 Lance sat up. Antia has just come to the planetarium a few days ago, and already she had proven to be a very valuable asset to the team. Taking out the trash, cleaning desks, and doing menial deskwork. Lance had to admit he was growing fond of her cheerful demeanor.

 “Are you sure, Antia? It’s almost eleven o’clock-”

 “I’m sure, Lance. I can put numbers into the system.” She giggled, no sarcasm or malice behind the comment.

 “Well, okay. Thanks!” Lance replied, sitting up from his cramped chair and shrugging off his lab coat, folding it in his arms. He pinned his clockout numbers into his computer, then folded his coat around his arms before walking towards the entrance. “See you tomorrow, Antia.”

 She smiled, flashing bright white teeth to him. “Yep! Get some sleep, Lance!” 

* * *

 

But Lance was not going to sleep.

 “Another, please.” He slurred slightly, placing a five on the counter.

 “Coming right up.” The bartender whisked the money away, replacing it with a tall glass of a vaguely green liquid.

 “Ugh…” He immediately began chugging the drink, feeling the telltale tingle of alcohol at work.

 He hated his job. He hated his life. He went to school for almost seven years just to put numbers into a computer. He took this career path because he loved the stars. Loved how they twinkled and sparkled, how they came out every night and went away every morning. They seemed so close, but he knew they were unimaginably far away. The thought enticed him, made him curious. But curiosity doesn’t fulfill the mind, does it?

 “No, it doesn’t...” He said out loud to nobody, slouching over until his face pressed against the cold surface of the bar counter. “It really doesn’t...”

 His eyes felt heavy. He closed them for a few seconds, just to rest them for a bit. Then he heard a voice.

 “You’ve had a lot, haven’t you?” The voice was calm, a little coarse. He opened his eyes to see the voice’s owner.

 A boy his age has sat down next to him. He wore a red t-shirt and a black leather biker jacket. His black hair was unruly and a little too long, reaching his neck. His eyes were a strange amber color, but Lance attributed that to his inebriated state. He placed a motorcycle helmet on the counter.

 “I’ll have what he had.” He said to the bartender, pointing to Lance. “Seems to do the trick.”

 “Leave me alone.” Lance slurred, his eyes narrowing and rolling at the same time. “How much I’ve had is none of your bus… bus… business...” He burped, stumbling over his last word.

 “I know when someone is sad.” The boy sad, receiving his drink and taking a sip. “Not hard to tell, honestly. And you’re sad. Why?”

 Lance stared, trying to focus on the stranger. “Work troubles… life troubles...”

 “Hate your job?” The stranger asked.

 “Kind of… love the field, but too-”

 “Menial? I understand.” The boy finished his thought perfectly. “Where do you work?”

 “The planetarium down the road...” Lance sighed. “It’s nice, but not nice enough.”

 “It’s a terrible thing to be satisfied. You have to be discontent to grow.” The boy said quietly.

 Lance continued staring. This guy talked like an old poet or something. “What’s your name?”

 “Keith. Yours?”

 “Lance.” The answers were short and simple. A pause hung in the air before Keith broke it.

 “I like stars. Know a bit about them myself.”

 Lance cocked on eyebrow. “You do? What’s your favorite?”

 Keith smirked. “Leo. Typical, I know.”

 “I don’t have a favorite. I like ‘em all...” Lance slurred in response.

 “Listen, Lance. I know I’m just a stranger, but be careful at work.” His eyes snapped to focus on Lance’s, who took immediate interest even in his drunk state. “There might be people out there who would take advantage of you.”

Lance’s eyes widened. “You’re creeping me out, Keith.”

 “Forgive my creepiness. I’d just feel bad if something happened to you and I didn’t warn you.” He said, finishing his drink in one fell gulp. “It’s a Virgo thing, right? Accident prone. You would know.” With that, he left a tip on the bar and picked up his helmet, standing up from the counter. “I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Lance.”

 Lance closed his eyes contentedly, liking the feeling of being alone with his drunk self again. Then his eyes snapped open. “Wait, how did you know I’m a Virgo?” He almost shouted, earning a “Hush!” from the bartender. But Keith was already gone. 

* * *

 

“Ugh...” Lance shuffled into work the next morning, his eyes dark with tiredness and his head pounding from a hangover in full force. He swiped his clearance card through the key pad, wincing as the doors whooshed open with a loud noise. He stepped into the observatory, his chair still empty from last night, his coffee mug still half-full on the dash.

 “Morning, Lance.” Antia said quietly, as if aware he had a hangover.

 “Mm...” He groaned an affirmation, waving at her vaguely. He sat down in the chair, holding his head in his hands. It was like he never left.

 “You’ve got an assignment from the boss, Lance.” Antia had stood up, walking a small folio to him that read **NEW STAR ASSIGNMENTS** in bold font.

 “Of course.” He sighed.

 “It won’t be that bad.” She consoled, walking back to her chair. “It’s just a search-and-find really. Tell me when you find something interesting, I want to see it!”

 “Sure.”

 He wasn’t going to do that. His head hurt so much he just wanted to get this assignment over with.

 He leaned into the telescope, adjusting the dials as the black infinite void of space came into view. He sighed contentedly, always liking the initial view adjustment.

 “Let’s see, coordinates...”

 Hours passed, with Lance finding nothing interesting. A comet here, a meteor there. Just the same old he always saw. He categorized each one, marking the location, size, shape, color, even giving them funny names like ‘The Fat One’ or ‘The One That Doesn’t Tip’ just to make the assignment seem less mind-numbing. But finally, nearly twelve hours later, he was at the last object.

 Strangely, this one already had a name.

  **H-42 NOVUS**

 “Novus?” Lance rolled the new star’s name over his tonuge. “That’s very pretty...” He got to work, a little excited to see the new star. He swung the telescope’s lense across the dark expanse, adjusting slightly to match the coordinates. But there was nothing.

 “Come on, honey. Let me see you...” He whispered to himself, turning the view aperture knob to adjust the focus. Other stars blurred, some became sharper, but still nothing. He growled angrily. “Come on, I know you’re there...” He turned both aperture knobs to their maximum and minimum settings respectively, finding it was helpful to work in from the extremes.

 Then there she was. Lance’s eyes widened. This star was big, bigger than any of the other ones. The glowing orb shimmered with rainbow colors, swirling iridescence shining over it’s surface. There was no way that was natural.

 Lance leaned back, typing some commands into the computer to clean the telescope lens, sure it was an artifact of dust or oil on the glass surface. But even as the wipers descended, cleaned the lens, then ascended again, the colors remained.

 “Um, Antia…” He called across the room. “You remember when you told me to call you when I found something interesting?”

 Antia was by his side immediately. “Yeah, yeah? What did you find?” Her excitement had not diminished with the long shift. Lance envied her.

 “Look at that star. There’s gotta be something wrong with the lens, right? The color is all off...”

 Antia pushed her hair behind her glasses and leaned in, pressing an eye to the telescope. A few moments passed, then she stood up.

 "Lance there’s nothing there.”

 Lance’s heart skipped a beat for a second. “Wait, what? You didn’t see it?”

 “Nope. Just lots of dark.” She smiled brightly. “Maybe you need to clock out early again, there is that flu going around-”

 “No, I swear I saw something!” He leaned back in, to check for himself. After he adjusted the eyepiece for himself again, the rainbow star came back into view. He didn’t move, for fear of losing it again.

 “See there it is!” He was still glued to the telescope, but he gestured at Antia. “Pull it up on the mirror monitor, it’s right- urk!”

A sharp pain exploded through his stomach before he could finish his sentence. He lurched away from the telescope, staggering back from the console to look down at his chest. A long, stinger like object was lodged in his stomach. The room began to spin, shock starting to set in. His eyes traced the object in panic, following it’s bulbous tip allow a long, segmented tail that curled over his chest and connected to Antia, who was still standing next to him.

 “Thanks, Lance.” She hissed, all happiness gone from her voice. “We knew you were one of them.” With a jerk of her body, she pulled the stinger out of Lance, who collapsed on the floor, unable to believe what was happening to him.

 "Wha… wha...” He gasped for air, the pain in his stomach blinding his thoughts. He coughed and twitched, his body beginning to feel the effects of whatever was in the stinger.

 “Don’t worry, Lance. I picked a quick one. It’ll be over soon.” She stepped over his body, typing a command into the computer. A quiet whir came from across the room as a printer spat out a document. “Thanks for finding Novus for us. She’s been hiding for quite some time. It just took a special eye to find her.”

 “Why...” He groaned, a strange cold sensation spreading through his limbs. “What… are… are...”

 “What am I?” She finished his question, smiling a sadistic smile. “You know me already. You spent an entire semester in undergrad school writing about me. Flattering really, but I’m afraid business is business.” She took off her glasses and flipped her hair back, a shimmering black wave rolling across her body. Her appearance changed as it spread from hand to hand, her clothing becoming tighter, more revealing. The stinger that protruded from her back grew in size, it’s purple coloration becoming deeper. Her hair shifted into a ponytail, and the color changed from red to a strange off-white. Her hands grew long claw-like nails, and pieces of armor clung to her body, resembling an insect-like exoskeleton.

 Lance stared, writhing in pain. He still didn’t understand.

 “Still don’t know? Well, I have many names.” She strode to the printer, impaling the paper on a nail. “Over in Java, I was Banyakagrem. The Sumerians knew me as Girtab.”

 Lance’s eyes widened. He didn’t comprehend what Antia was saying.

 “But you might know me as Scorpius. I chose Antia as my cover name for reasons you might be familiar with, Antares being my main star and all.” She finished, waving a hand in the air. A shimmering mist hung in front of her. After a moment a voice emanated from the mist.

 “What is it, Scorpius?” The voice was deep and gravelly.

 “I’ve completed the mission. The last Starseeker is down. I gave him a bit of Scorpion’s Embrace. You won’t have to worry anymore.”

 “Good work.”

 “Thanks, boss.” She smirked coyly. “I’ll return to base shortly.”

“Understood.”

The mist vanished, leaving nothing in the room but Antia and a still struggling Lance. She looked down on him with a look of pure disdain. “Don’t fight it, Lance. I like you. I made sure it was quick. You won’t feel anything, I promise.” A hint of genuine emotion crept into her voice for a moment. “I really hate it had to come to this, I really do. But like I said, business is business.”

She snapped her fingers, a hole ripping itself into the space next to her. It was pure black, with stars speckling its surface. It was like space itself has entered the room.

“The stars welcome you, Lance.” Then she stepped through the hole as it closed itself behind her.

Lance ignored her advice, writhing in pain on the floor. The cold numbness had spread up into his chest. He knew that he would stop breathing soon, if the poison didn’t immediately seek out his brain. _It was going to end like this, huh?_ He thought, still finding time to be sardonic even when in his death throes. _Killed by a constellation or something. Nice._

His neck muscles spasmed as the poison entered his tendons, making him seize and slam his head into the floor. Blackness took him instantly.


	2. Explain

“Ugh...” Lance groaned. His licked his lips, feeling the dry, cracked skin. There was an awful taste in his mouth. His eyes opened painfully, seeing a ceiling fan spin lazily above him.

Part of him wanted to believe it was a dream, but he knew from the pain in his stomach that what had happened was very real.

He groaned, slumping into the soft covers he found himself in.

“Don’t move too much, Lance.” He heard a soft voice call as a tall man rushed into the room. His hair was a shock of white, with strange green markings running down his neck behind a white t-shirt. Lance could see them glow softly behind the material. The man was tall, almost too tall to fit through the doorway, having to duck a bit to avoid hitting his head.

He stooped next to the bed, sitting into a chair as he pulled a nearby bedside table to him.

“How are you feeling, Lance?” He asked, placing a hand on Lance’s chest.

“Hey, don’t touch-” Lance stopped complaining as he felt a warmth spread from the hand through his body. He relaxed into the touch, his mind’s eye flooded with memories of his mother comforting him when he had a stomach ache, of hot cocoa on a winter’s night. “Ah...”

“Better, right?” The man asked. Lance just nodded, closing his eyes in bliss. “Lance, you were attacked by a very dangerous person.” The man continued, a more serious tone entering his voice. “You are very lucky to be alive. If Keith hadn’t found you, you’d be very dead right now.”

“Keith?” Lance mumbled, still relaxed by the man’s healing touch. “That weirdo I met at the bar a few nights ago?”

The man shrugged. “I don’t know how you met. But you are a target now, Lance.”

“I don’t understand...” Lance shook his head weakly. “This isn’t real… there must’ve been something in that drink...”

“This is very real, Lance. And you’re in danger. It’s safe here, but no one knows how long that will last.”

“Who are you?” Lance asked, still enjoying the man’s warmth.

The man smiled slightly. “You want my real name? In full?”

Lance hesitated before he nodded.

The man smiled fully now before he answered. “I am Asclepius. The Serpent-Bearer, the Great Healer. Holder of the Medicine Staff. Ptolemy called me Serpentarius. You may call my Clep.”

Lance stared in disbelief. “You see, it’s shit like that that makes me think this isn’t real.”

Clep laughed quietly. “I’m real, Lance. Keith will explain everything.” He pulled the covers back to look at Lance’s wound, tsking at the damage. “That Scorpius… I’ve dealt with her work since the time of Hercules. Her methods haven’t changed a bit.”

He peeled back a the bandage, his eyes moving over the wound. “You’re lucky she used Scorpion’s Embrace… you wouldn’t be here if she had used Cobra’s Kiss...”

Lance continued to stare. “I still don’t feel like I’m here.”

Clep laughed again. It was a very soft, tinkling noise. “Keith will be back soon. Just relax, okay? I’ve injected you with quite a lot of medicines. My own cocktail. You’ll feel right as rain in a week.”

“A week?” Lance moaned, feeling the wound in full when Clep pulled his hand away. “I’ve got rent to pay, a job to go to-”

“Everyone thinks you’re dead, Lance. Scorpius filed all the paperwork as soon as she could. You have no apartment, no rent to pay.” Even though what Clep was saying was insane, his voice was still warm and calm. “For now, you need to relax. I’ve given you the antidote, but if you stress too much the poison will return-”

“I have no life!?” Lance yelled, his voice echoing slightly in the empty room. “Just yesterday, I had a job, a family! That can’t all be gone!” He slumped, all the energy drained from him. “Can it?”

Clep nodded solemnly. “My deepest condolences, Lance. I truly wish there was more I could do.” The sound of a door slamming made him stand up. “Oh, that must be Keith. I’ll be right back.” He hurried out the door, leaving Lance with his thoughts.

 _I’m… dead? Legally, anyway._ His mind was racing. He couldn’t believe that he was a non-person, just like that. It was unreal.

He heard hushed sounds. Clep and Keith seemed to be having a quiet argument outside his door.

“ _Yes, but if you don’t explain-”_

“ _Clep, you healed him. It’s time for him to go.”_

“ _He has nowhere to go back to! You of all people-”_

“ _Can we not do this right now, please?”_

“ _He is a target, Keith! They will find him, and when they do...”_

Clep’s voice trailed off. Then he started again.

“ _I took an oath as a healer a long time ago. I will not let anyone under my care come to harm in any way.”_

“ _That stupid oath...”_

“ _Humans made us, Keith. Give a little, get a little. We need to give if we want to get. That is how it’s always been.”_

There was another heavy silence. Clep spoke again. It appeared he was swaying Keith towards something.

“ _There are no more Starseekers, Keith. They made sure of that. He is the last one. We need to keep him safe!”_

“ _What of Novus? What about her? Or do you not care about what happens to your own kind!?”_

Keith’s voice raised to a shout before it dipped in volume again.

“ _He may be the last Starseeker, but he is a danger to us. He can see us, Clep! That alone makes him too dangerous to keep! Novus is dead because of him!”_

Lance’s eyes widened. He remembered what Scorpius had said; _**“**_ _ **She’s been hiding for quite some time. It just took a special eye to find her.”**_

Clep began speaking. _“Novus knew what she was doing when she became the Sentry. She took the burden with pride and honor. Do not sully her death by calling it anything other than what it was! Murder!!”_

The healer’s voice was rising to an uncharacteristic volume.

“ _She was a child, Clep! A baby! She was only 3,000 years old!”_

“ _We are at war, Keith! She knew that! I thought you did, too.”_

There was another silence, this one the heaviest of all. Keith spoke this time, with barely restrained anger.

“ _How dare you...”_

“ _Do not_ _take your anger out on me or our guest, Leo. You are better than that. You are the sign of pride, now act like it!”_

Lance gasped quietly. Leo.

“ _Novus has earned her place in our minds and hearts. She will be reborn in the Starcycle. You know this. We will all miss her dearly.”_

“ _She didn’t even have an Asterism yet...”_

“ _It is always a tragedy when the old outlive the young, Keith. But that is the cruel reality. Now, please. Calm yourself and greet our guest.”_

They both stopped talkin, before Keith knocked on the door. Lance pretended like he hadn’t heard anything.

“Come in.” He called.

Keith entered, still wearing his red shirt and leather jacket. He looked extremely flustered, his cheeks red with anger.

“Hello, Lance. Remember me?” He asked, trying to feign host-like concern.

“Hard to forget.” Lance replied dryly.

“How are you feeling?” He continued, still putting on the facade.

Lance’s eyes narrowed, unamused.

"I got stabbed, buddy. By someone you know.”

Keith’s act melted away in an instant.

“Okay, look. I should probably explain some things.” He sat down in the chair Clep had been occupying earlier. “There are some things you don’t understand, so I won’t even try-”

“No.” Lance interrupted. “Give me the whole thing. I’m not going anywhere.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’m not exactly human.”

“I’ve gathered that, yes.”

“And you’re special, but not in that ‘it makes you cool and awesome’ kind of way. You’re special in that ‘makes you a big target’ kind of way. You’re what we call a Starseeker.”

Lance cocked an eyebrow. “Who’s ‘we’?”

Keith rolled back from the bed, already exhausted. “Ah, shit. You’re asking the hard questions already.”

“Shouldn’t be that hard.” Lance replied. “I know you’re not human. What are you, an alien?”

“Technically speaking. I’m a Starborn.” He said simply.

The look Lance gave Keith could’ve stripped bark off of a tree.

“You’re treating me like I’m dumb, Keith. And while I appreciate the sentiment, I am not happy.” Lance said. “Now, please actually tell me what is happening before I shove my fist down your throat.”

There was a moment’s hesitation as Keith’s expressed became one of surprise, then one of understanding.

“I get it. You’re ready to get on with your not-life. Fine, I’ll tell you everything.” A wave of black rolled across Keith’s body, just like when Antia had transformed. His teeth became sharper, his hair longer, and a long, thin tail snaked out from behind his chair, tufted with fur at the end. “I’m a constellation. Leo, to be exact.”

Lance looked at Keith with newfound wonder.

“We start out as a single star. No influence, nothing. But as we get older, we are able to add more stars to our ‘body’, I guess you would call it. Eventually, we get big enough for humans to notice. That’s when we can project ourselves down to Earth and influence your history. Earn our name, our ‘Asterism’.” Keith sighed. “Some don’t get that far.”

Lance looked at his covers awkwardly. “I’m sorry about Novus.” He said quietly. “I heard you talking.”

“You weren’t supposed to hear that, but since you did I’ll let you in on it anyway.” Keith’s voice took on a sad tone, his tail flicking forlornly against the wall. “She was young. Strong. She was playful and tough and fun. Everything a Starborn should be. They used you to take her from us.” He stood to look out a nearby window into the forest beyond. “She was so young she was only one star. ‘Novus’ the humans named her. She was so happy when they did that. No one had the heart to tell her it was literally just Latin for ‘new’.” He laughed, but there was no humor to it. “She was our Sentry, sent to guard the edge of the Celestial Sphere against our enemy. Her stealth was good, but you’re a Starseeker. Nothing can hide from you.” Keith sounded almost bitter as he said it. “You saw her. Then Scorpius did what she does best. Backstab people.” He growled quietly. “I hate that bitch.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Lance asked, feeling terribly guilty about the whole thing.

“Right now? No.” Keith answered, another black wave rolling over his body to return him back to his original state.

“So let me get this straight…” Lance said, trying to piece all this information together in his head. “You are a species that starts as one star, then once you become a constellation you are able to come to Earth. Is that right?”

Keith nodded. “There are some semantics but yes, that’s pretty much it.”

Lance thought hard before he asked his next question.

“Are you… gods?”

Keith smiled a mischievous smile. “We used to be. That time is over.”

“Listen… I want to help.” Lance said earnestly. “If I’m the only Starseeker left, I must be able to do something, right?”

Keith stared at Lance, his red eyes piercing through his chest.

Then he spoke.

“People used to burn each other for me.” He said simply. “They’d pray to the Lion for strength, so that they could win their battles. They prayed to my stars to protect their families, to make sure their fathers came home safe from the hunt.” He laughed again, this one more in amazement than humor or sadness. “It’s funny that now I need the help of them, when before it was I who was the decider of fates. Among many, I suppose.” He looked away from Lance, towards the doorway.

“Asclepius is a good friend of mine. He will help teach you and train you.” He sighed, turning to walk thorugh the doorway, stopping at the threshhold. “You have a lion’s heart, Lance. I can’t say no to those who have that. Novus’ funeral service is tomorrow. You should be there.” Then he stepped across the threshhold and closed the door behind him.

 

 


End file.
